Evelyn Porter – Servant Girl Extraordinaire
by hafsah124
Summary: Bates is looking for a replacement...someone who will do just as well as he does in serving the Lord Fiske.A newbie's story of adjustment. Eventually One-sided OC/Monkey Fist
1. Chapter 1

Evelyn Porter – Servant Girl Extraordinaire

"Of course, I would come too early for tea," mumbled the girl, glancing at the large grandfather clock on the opposite side of the room in annoyance. The sound of its ticking was slowly driving her past the normal brink of nervousness and onto the edge of panic. She had to calm down…there was nothing to worry about. This…was just her new employer inviting his new employee to afternoon tea. If she had been accepted as the employee – she wasn't really sure. The employer, Mr. Bates, had been very vague in their last meeting. Evelyn shuddered, remembering the strange tests she had to undergo, along with the other applicants. There had been the tests of endurance (which, for some reason, included balancing serving trays with bananas while sprinting against the other applicants), strength, flexibility, and finally the really strange allergy tests (deciding whether or not anyone was allergic to monkeys or any other form of simian type animal). Evelyn had passed all of the tests with flying colors…maybe. She was unsure. Her hope that she may have actually gotten the job flared when she'd received Mr. Bates' call inviting her to tea. Well, of course she was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that she had come ten minutes earlier than the time described in the phone call. Now, she was stuck in this highly polished waiting room that obviously belonged to a wealthy man, her hands sweating, her heart beat and the ticking clock thundering in her ears. God, it was like something out an Edgar Allen Poe story. However, just when she thought the ticking might drive her to lunacy, the door to the study creaked open and Mr. Bates stepped out carefully into view.

Bates was a short, fat, man with huge eyes and brown hair atop his head. He had some sort of facial hair style that was new to Evelyn, some sort of moustache-sideburn hybrid, she guessed. He stood up straight, his hands clasped behind him. He had the air of someone who had been through too many adventures to speak of, and couldn't, possibly, for he didn't have the time. Evelyn stood up quickly, her heart skipping a beat as she did so. Her meetings with him had always been very nerve-wracking. She tried to mimic his way of standing, but gave up in the end, resting her hands at her sides. Bates stared at her for a moment, taking in her appearance, before standing aside to allow her into the study. He smiled at her stiffly, as if the action caused him physical pain.

"Miss Porter," he drawled, nodding his head a bit, "How…nice…to see you again, my dear. I've been longing for a chance to –eh-"

Evelyn had slipped inside the study before Bates could finish, fearing that he might close the door swiftly on her face. There was a table in the center of the room, set for two. Bates calmly gestured to the two chairs on either side of the table. Evelyn took a seat, the sound of her heart beating loud in her ears.

"Ahem, Miss Porter, let us get right down to business," said Bates, pouring them both a cup of tea. Evelyn nodded, a jerky motion, due to her nerves. Bates, who was scrutinizing her as he sat back in his chair, asked, "Why do you want this job, Miss Porter?"

"W-well," said Evelyn, looking anywhere but his huge eyes. "To be quite honest, it sounds like the best job there is, actually. High pay…free living quarters…traveling to remote places of the world…I was sure when I found the ad in the paper, that it was some sort of sham…if you don't mind me saying so, sir."

Bates quirked an eyebrow at her and she hastily took a sip of tea to hide her blushing cheeks.

"What I mean to say is…" Evelyn sighed, putting the cup down and staring into the man's eyes. "I needed a job that was high paying and the free living quarters part was like a dream come true for me. I…needed to get away from some troublesome things…back where I used to live, sir."

"I see. And…does your…family know about…ehh…all of this, then?" continued Bates, leaning in closer. Evelyn eyed him cautiously over her tea cup. "Of course…your background is nothing you must divulge with me, Miss Porter. Onward…naturally…I wanted to know exactly how well you are at…secret-keeping."

Evelyn allowed his words to float around the room for a couple of moments before thinking up an answer. This was strange behavior, even for such a strange-looking man. Just what kind of…secrets were he talking about?

"I know how to keep my mouth shut, if that's what you mean," clipped Evelyn quietly. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Sir."

A long, torturous silence greeted her in return. Bates was staring at her again, as if trying to see inside and take a peek at _her_ secrets, as well. Just when Evelyn was sure she'd lost her chance to get the job, Bates stood up and smiled genuinely at her. Surprised, Evelyn stood too.

"Well, Miss Porter…You have impressed me. Be ready, if you would, at six AM tomorrow morning. There will be a car waiting outside your hotel, to take you to the airport," said the small man. Evelyn broke into a relieved grin.

"I got the job? That's brilliant!" She shook his hand quickly and left the room, ready to go and pack her things. She'd done it! No more hiding around, watching her old life glare at her. No, she was finished with all of that, now. She was ready for a fresh start. Evelyn did not notice Mr. Bates pull out a cell phone and start dialing, as she closed the door behind her. Nor did she hear him speaking in hushed tones to an unknown someone on the other line.

"Of course, Mi'Lord. I'll be sure to pick up some jasmine tea on the way back, then, shall I? Yes. The new help will be arriving tomorrow, on schedule, as ordered. Bananas? Very well, Mi'Lord. I shall also get some more on the way back, too…"

End

_Author's note: Here's something I did…because I've been re-watching Kim Possible. I__** realized**__ that Monkey Fist is the cutest thing and that I should obsess over him…So, here's a little something to prove that I loves him…even if he's not even on this page…Well…review if you want more, I guess. Man, I haven't written in a while…_


	2. Chapter 2

The buzzing was going to drive her insane, she decided. There was no other way around it. She was losing her mind. The buzzing did not stop, and it was malicious in its incessancy. She couldn't allow it to go on.

Evelyn finally leaped out of the bed and grabbed her buzzing cell phone off of the bed-side table with such violence, that the alarm clock was knocked onto the floor in the flurry. Ignoring the clock, Evelyn stared at the bright blue screen of her cell phone under the darkness of her hotel room. She needed to see the name of the person who was going to die a slow and painful death for keeping her up most of the night. Then, she froze, her eyes widening in fear. Slowly, Evelyn pushed the answer button as the buzzing quickly started again.

"Eeeeveeelyyyn," whispered a dark voice on the line. With a wail, Evelyn tossed the phone across the room. There was a loud bang as it hit the opposite wall and fell to the floor. The bright blue screen caused an eerie glow to light up the corner of the room. There was silence.

Evelyn stood frozen for a few minutes, her eyes on the cracked cell phone several feet away. She slowly slid to the floor, still watching the phone, as if it might sprout legs and crawl back over to her.

"You can run…you can hide," sang the voice quietly. "I am everywhere…" It laughed and then the sound of a dial tone echoed through the room. Evelyn slowly crawled over to the phone and picked it up, careful not to push the answer button as it began to buzz again. She held it as if it was a baby, cradling it in her arms as she slowly made her way across the small room. Evelyn opened the window and tossed her cell phone out into the night. She heard it hit and break against the ground.

Closing the window against the loud string of cursing that came from some of the other tenants who had been out for an early morning smoke, Evelyn reassembled her room. She replaced the alarm clock, made sure it was still working, and climbed back into bed, wondering how she was going to explain her lack of a cell phone to her employer. Then, deciding that she would not get back to sleep, she threw the covers off of her.

She rummaged through her bag of essentials for something and headed for the bathroom, a determined look in her eye.

Jonathan was somewhat surprised, as he brought the car around, when he was greeted by a teenaged boy carrying a single bag at the hotel. He was waving at him, as if Jonathan were a mere cab driver. The nerve! Such a cheeky boy! Jonathan, offended by the boy's games, rolled down his window so that he could kindly tell the lad to piss off, but found himself cut off by a voice that was clearly female in nature.

"Excuse me, sir," said Evelyn, leaning in so that he could get a look at her face. "Are you with a…Mr. Bates?"

Jonathan opened and shut his mouth a couple of times, looking the person up and down. Where he had seen a cheeky boy, a polite girl now stood, watching him expectantly. Unable to speak, Jonathan nodded and pointed to the back seat. The girl grinned happily at him and stepped inside. They set off for the airport immediately.

"Bates…he – uh – told me that you had long hair. Sorry, I didn't recognize you, love," said the driver after they had gone a few miles. Evelyn looked at her nearly unfamiliar reflection in the rear-view mirror, touching her very short hair.

"That's good," replied the girl, smiling kindly at him. Jonathan blinked at the unusual reaction and reserved further questions for his mind. Evelyn stared out of the window at the trees and buildings moving by, hearing the dark laughter echoing in her ears.

_Laugh now_, whispered Evelyn furiously in her mind, _you horrible thing. Laugh now._

_Author's note: It's late…or early, now. I'm gonna go to bed…before my sleep-depraved mind thinks up something even more twisted for Evelyn to do…I'm not sure when Monty's gonna show up…I'm kinda just making this up as I go… _


	3. Chapter 3

Evelyn could not believe her eyes. She stared up at the gigantic twin doors of Castle Fiske in awe, her mouth hanging open. She had never seen anything like it. She could not believe that anyone lived in such a place – let alone that she could ever live there. Her hands wrung around the straps of her bag tightly as she felt the familiar sensation of dread creep into her lower stomach. She was eager, yes, but she was fearful at the same time. She was unsure of how to act in the presence of a Lord – she could accidentally offend him…or worse. What had she been thinking, rushing to become a member of the Upper Class? Did she just expect to be taken under the Lord's wing like poor orphan Annie or something? It was pathetic. There was no way they'd accept her. She was grimy-looking and, from what others could collect, gender confused. There was also the name of her true employer that sounded strange to her. Hadn't she heard of a Lord Fiske somewhere before? Evelyn couldn't remember where exactly she'd heard the name before, but it troubled her. Frankly, the fact that bates had been so reluctant to give it to her was unsettling, to say the least.

But she couldn't think about that now. She was finally on the road to a better life. She wouldn't worry about Bates or the mysterious Lord Fiske. There were worse things in life than being rejected by a member of the Upper Class. Evelyn nodded to herself, glancing over her shoulder to check if some unknown being had crept up on her while her guard had been down. Deciding that she would rather face the dangers of serving tea to an eccentric billionaire than face certain doom outside castle walls, Evelyn moved to the right of the doors to the intercom.

"Hello?" she called into the microphone, peeking into the small television screen above it. Almost instantly, the huge doors began to open. The loud noise startled her, and she moved several feet backward for fear of her own safety. When she was satisfied that nothing was going to jump out and murder her, she carefully stepped past the threshold of the doorway.

Once inside, she realized that what she had been standing outside of was not a front door, but a front gate. She was now in what she took in as a zoo…or something. There were monkeys. There were so many monkeys!

"Bloody hell," she cursed, gaping at the strangest sight she'd ever laid eye upon. It was like the Lord Fiske had re-created a jungle habitat for these monkeys, strictly for the monkeys. Everything, own to the last detail had been taken care of – even the climate. It was so hot there; Evelyn was actually a bit confused and a bit dizzy. She walked along the given path, between the many jungle trees and shrieking monkeys that hung above. She was too afraid to run; she feared that any sudden movement would cause an attack.

"Good afternoon, Miss…"

Evelyn turned around quickly and was actually relieved to see a familiar face. It was Bates, who was looking quite confused at Evelyn's new hair-cut.

"Miss Porter?" questioned the little man, recognizing her face. Evelyn smiled at him. "Uh…hello, follow me, if you would."

Evelyn hurried to keep up with the small man, wondering how he was moving so quickly with such tiny legs.

"Mr. Bates…about these…uh…" Evelyn was trying to think of a subtle way to bring up the monkeys, without looking like a complete idiot. Bates glanced back at her over his shoulder.

"Monkeys?" he finished dryly. Swallowing, Evelyn nodded slowly, carefully stepping over a bunch of spoiled banana peels. Bates glared at the peels before speaking again, "Lord Fiske has…odd tastes. He is very fond of the monkeys, and you will do well to remember that. Also, your duties will be to clean up after them, so I would suggest that you also become fond of them, Miss Porter."

"Yessir," said Evelyn automatically.

They soon came to the actual entrance to the castle and Bates paused. He turned to look back at her, his eyes studying her prudently.

"Miss Porter, before I allow you into this estate I must reiterate the terms of your contract and remind you that you are…eh…sworn into silence about the events that may take place inside."

"Mr. Bates, you have nothing to worry about. Everyone has their…secrets," replied Evelyn calmly. She was eager to see the brilliant oddities that awaited them inside.

"Inside, you follow me, silently, to your living quarters, where you will change into your uniform and wait for further instruction, yes?"

Evelyn nodded and couldn't hide a grin as the doors opened…


	4. Chapter 4

Monkey Fist was growing more irritated by the minute. He had been, for the last three hours, attempting to teach the newest and youngest batch of monkey ninjas the mystic monkey slam – one of the simplest moves in the current sequence. Very far from getting his gist, the creatures were now performing something that hideously resembled a poorly-funded circus display. Monkey Fist began to shake with rage, until he closed his eyes quite abruptly, falling into a cross-legged sitting position on the floor.

He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to find his center – trying to find the last string of sanity he had – before he lost his temper completely. He couldn't let that happen. If the monkeys got too fearful of him, they would regress…and that would infuriate him to an even greater degree.

No, he could do this. He was destined to be the Ultimate Monkey Master. Teaching some reluctant little monkeys a few moves was cake compared to the rest of the journey to Mastery.

Sighing and feeling a bit less tense, Monkey Fist returned to the outside world, opening his eyes to the chaotic training room.

"Stop this at once," he commanded, still unable to keep the underlining rage from his voice. The little things sensed his disapproval, chattering amongst each other nervously; unsure of whether they should be running from their Master. They cautiously gathered around him, sure to keep a safe distance in case their Master got angry again. Seeing his mistake, Monkey Fist forced a smile onto his features. "Allow me to demonstrate it again. Now…pay very close attention – it's not that difficult, really…"

He performed the mystic monkey slam perfectly; running and leaping into a spinning tornado slash, connecting it with an immortal somersault. He landed before the monkeys, feeling quite accomplished. This time, they would get it for sure. He'd practically given them the display in slow motion! There was no way they could get it wrong, now…

Monkey Fist looked to the monkey in the back of the small crowd, confident that this time he would succeed.

"Chippy," he said smoothly, careful to keep the tone of his voice level. The little monkey whined something in return. Monkey Fist's left eye twitched with the force of hold back an angry exclamation. "Of course, you can do it, Chippy. Don't speak such nonsense. I've just showed it to you for what has to be the fifteenth time – I'm sure that's enough. Go on, don't keep us waiting."

Chippy slowly made his way to the center floor. He had no idea how his Master had gotten it in his head that the move he had showed them was easy. It had been the most complicated thing he'd ever seen. He crouched into a weak horse-stance, trying his best to mimic that of his Master. Chippy took in a deep, shuttering breath, readying him for the disappointment and anger he would receive soon…

However, just as he was about to leap into his version of the mystic monkey slam, there was a controlled knocking at the doors to the training room. A wave of relief pushed through Chippy, and he quickly returned to his original standing position. He sniffed the air and recognized the scent of the short, chubby man who fed them. He hopes leaped - perhaps, he would get a snack _and_ not have to perform the move. He and his companions hurried to the doors, eager to be fed, for they had also caught the scent of the Feeder and…

"Hello there," mumbled a low voice from slightly behind the short man.

Immediately, the monkeys drew back in caution. This was a new person, a new scent that they didn't know. As Bates stepped into the room with a large serving tray that was nearly overflowing with bananas and other assorted fruit, another figure stepped in behind him. The second person was taller than Bates, but not as tall as their Master. It was lean, but wrapped in clothing that seem far too large for it. Chippy, curious, leaned in to get a better look.

Monkey fist sighed, regaining some of his composure. When he had seen the start of Chippy's mystic monkey slam, he had started to get very angry when Bates arrived. It was a good thing, that. If there hadn't been such an interruption, he would've lost his temper for sure. A slow half-smile was allowed onto his features. Bates seemed to know just what he needed.

Monkey Fist approached the entrance of his training room and was a bit confused when he saw two people there instead of one. There was Bates…and a young boy, too.

"Who's this, Bates?" demanded the Lord, standing slightly behind the small crowd of monkeys that had begun eating their snack.

Bates cleared his throat officially. He gestured to Evelyn and said, "M'Lord, this is-"

"Lyn, sir. Lyn Porter," spoke the low voice from behind. Monkey Fist quirked an eyebrow and stared at the boy. There was something…strange about his voice. He seemed to recoil in response to the staring and retreated further behind Bates. Suddenly, Monkey Fist remembered something.

"Oh. It must be the new servant boy," he said, more to himself than to Evelyn. It was then that he realized that the boy must be taking in his bizarre appearance. Monkey Fist straightened up to his full height as if challenging the boy to say something.

Evelyn was confused. Bates had told her that the Lord Fiske was…odd…in appearance, but Evelyn had not expected something like this! She looked from the crowd of monkeys in the black pajamas to the man standing behind them, her mind working furiously to help her comprehend the sight. This…Lord Fiske…had what looked like monkey hands and feet. He had monkey hands and monkey feet. Monkey…hands…and…monkey…feet.

"And…what, may I ask, are you staring at, boy?" questioned Lord Fiske. His voice frightened her. It was dark, just like…- Evelyn gulped. She couldn't risk her new employer getting angry or offended.

"N-nothing, sir," she mumbled, attempting to keep her voice low. She averted her gaze to the curious monkeys at the floor. She wouldn't let him know he'd made a mistake in assuming her gender. She had a feeling that it would only make him angrier. Racking her brains, Evelyn answered his question, "I was just…admiring your unique clothing…and…wondered if I would wear something like it here."

Evelyn shrunk away from his gaze, pretending to gaze around the room in awe. The monkey man seemed to relax – or force himself to relax. Evelyn was relieved.

"No. You won't have to wear a gi. You are not that type of worker. However, you will do everything I say…when I say it. That is my only rule, Len."

Evelyn did not dare to correct him on her name. She bowed her head and nodded in the picture of submission. Good little servant boy. Good boy. Apparently bored with her, the monkey man turned to Bates haughtily.

"You have a long way to go with this one, Bates. I don't quite approve of his attitude, but I'm sure you'll remedy that soon enough," he said slowly. Evelyn couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger at the fact that he was talking about her as if she wasn't there. She glared at a monkey who was staring curiously up at her, a half-eaten banana in his hands. Instead of shrinking away in fear, the monkey grinned toothily at her. Evelyn's expression softened.

Before Evelyn could gawk at the monkey man any longer, she was shoved none-to-gently out of the training room by her ward. Bates, who looked beyond angry, turned to her with such a look of disappointment, Evelyn actually averted her gaze.

"He seems…nice," commented Evelyn, as they started to walk back to the kitchens to make dinner. Bates made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, his little legs working furiously. Evelyn struggled to keep up. "And…he calls me 'Len'."

"Lord Fiske thinks that you are a man," said Bates. Evelyn swallowed at the mocking tone in his voice. "So…you are a man."

"Wha-? Now, wait just a minute, sir. I didn't-" Evelyn was silenced at Bates faced her again.

"It doesn't matter what the true facts are, Porter. Lord Fiske believes it. He is never wrong. Never," he trailed off, turning back around slowly. Evelyn was vaguely aware that the people who inhabited Castle Fiske were insane. Bates, seemingly guilty about his outburst, spoke again in a softer voice. "Now…let's get started on the supper."

Evelyn followed close behind, the sound of chattering monkeys and Lord Fiske's shouts echoing in her wake.

_Author's Note: So…Monkey Fist finally appears! Chippy's still there so…I guess you can gather which point in the timeline this takes place in (somewhat).If there are any errors, I'd appreciate any comments on that. _


	5. Chapter 5

Evelyn frowned at her reflection, a wide-toothed comb in her hands. Her hair was putting up a great fight this morning. It had already started growing back – with a vengeance. Apparently, her hair hadn't liked being hacked off in such an unfashionable way. Sighing in defeat, she put down the comb and pulled on her oversized uniform to get ready for her duties.

It had been a few weeks since she had begun her work at Castle Fiske, and she had been getting along quite well. True, it had taken the monkeys some time to get used to her scent and trust her, but she'd worked hard to earn that trust. The smallest monkey – Chippy was his name – had taken to following her around the empty hallways while on her usual cleaning route. Evelyn didn't complain; she was thankful for some form of company. She barely saw Lord Fiske (a fact for which she was grateful), and Bates seemed to speak to her only to give her orders. She also couldn't help but notice the periodic disappearances of Lord Fiske, a group of elder monkeys and, sometimes, Bates. She wouldn't exactly call it fun, working with such an impossible person, but she somehow felt a safety within the large walls of the castle. She was glad that she wasn't obliged to accompany Lord Fiske on his outdoor missions; she was happy to remain at Castle Fiske – where outside forces were unable to enter.

She had reached the southern staircase and had set up her cleaning supplies when she heard a soft cheeping noise from above. Looking up, Evelyn saw Chippy hanging down from one of the large chandeliers by one hand. He dropped, spinning into a somersault, and landed lightly on his feet before her. Evelyn hid a smile at his arrival. She gazed at him in mock disinterest.

"Oh," she said, carelessly starting to scrub at the banister of the stairs. She heard Chippy's disappointed whine and grinned, turning back to him. She pulled a single banana from her uniform pocket and held it up to his now smiling face. "Chips, you're amazing, as usual."

In response, he grabbed the food and ate it noisily, gazing at her with the adoration of one who has just been rewarded. Evelyn patted him on the head before returning to her work.

_At least_, she thought, _Chippy is nice to me_.

After a few minutes, with Evelyn slowly cleaning her way up the long staircase and Chippy following, there was a small noise. Evelyn paused, looking around. Close to where Chippy stood, there was now a group of monkeys.

A long silence followed. Evelyn looked at the monkeys for a moment, deciding if they looked homicidal. When she realized that they weren't going to tear her limb from limb, she grinned.

"What's going on, kids?" she asked, dropping the cloth she had been using to clean with. The monkeys were silent. Then, Chippy reached over and grabbed Evelyn's hand. He pulled her along as they set off; a parade of monkeys and a servant girl.

They led her out to the garden – their playground of trees and bananas. Evelyn hadn't been outside of the castle – except to clean up the bananas and fruit that had gone bad, as per Bates' orders. Even then, she hadn't been accompanied by any monkeys. Excited, she leaned in and addressed Chippy.

"Where're we going, eh, Chips? An adventure sounds good right about now," she muttered, glancing back up at Castle Fiske. The little monkey only made a small screeching noise in the back of his throat and pulled her along further into the trees.

After several minutes, they reached a clearing between some trees. Evelyn looked round at all of the young monkeys, trying to figure out what they wanted. The creatures were excited, cheeping and flipping around within the clearing, using the newest techniques their Master had taught them. Evelyn grinned around at them, jealous of their skill. Before long, Chippy had pulled her to sit down with them and eat from the pile of fresh fruit they had gathered.

Evelyn was confused – were they being nice to her because of Chippy? It was the only explanation. She looked over at the little monkey and smiled gratefully at him. Chippy grinned back innocently, oblivious to the reason for the smiling, but grinning anyhow.

It was after that day, while watching the little creatures chatter excitedly and pick insects out of each other's fur, that Evelyn decided that her best friend was, indeed, a monkey.

* * *

Monkey Fist eyed the substance on his spoon with a mixture of disgust and confusion. What had Bates been thinking, attempting to feed him this…slop? He lifted the spoon up to his nose and sniffed gently. It smelled strange – not bad – but foreign. He'd never eaten anything like it. Perhaps it was a mistake – yes, a mistake. There was no way Bates would serve him something so…so…unusual. It just wasn't done. Not in Castle Fiske.

"What…is this?" he questioned aloud. He stared at the substance for a minute more; his upper lip curling in disgust, then threw his head back and hollered, "Bates!"

Within seconds, the little butler appeared, towing the servant boy along with him. Monkey Fist stood up, the bowl of…soup…in his hand.

"I must...apologize, Mi'Lord. _Porter_ was…trying a new recipe without my permission," he explained, shoving the timid boy forward.

"I'm sorry, sir. I just…heard that you were hurt and I knew this recipe for a healing stew and…well…I'm sorry. I didn't think," said the soft-voiced boy, his head bowed.

Monkey Fist stared at him, self-conscious, feeling the fresh bandages on the wounds he'd received from his last clash with Kim Possible. How could this boy know about his injuries? Only Bates and the monkeys knew about that. He'd specifically told Bates to keep it a secret – Monkey Fist couldn't stomach to have something like his injuries get out. And now…this ignorant boy knew about them?

He looked into the bowl again, a small ounce of curiosity bubbling up inside him. Just who was this boy, who dared to change his norms without consent? He hadn't given it much thought before – he'd seen the boy so little over the time he actually spent inside his home. However, the younger monkeys whispered about the boy (they were a bit confused – they referred to the boy as if he were a female) when they thought their Master wasn't listening, and he couldn't say that he was happy about the tone their little voices took when they did speak of Porter. It was…_admiration_. _His_ monkeys were _admiring_ this scrawny little insolent –

"Sir," said Porter, stepping forward a couple of inches. "If you'll let me take that back, I could make you something better."

Monkey Fist glared at the boy as he tried to take the bowl from his hand. Porter blinked in confusion as the bowl was snatched away.

"So," said Monkey Fist calmly, his voice holding a layer of malice within. "You like cooking, do you, boy?"

Porter gave a carefree smile that made the hairs on the back of the Lord's neck stand on end. How idiotic. Didn't the boy realize that he was being lectured? Couldn't he see that he was about to be punished? Monkey Fist did not smile in return.

"Oh, so then, you like it?" Monkey Fist's ears twitched at the change in octaves the boy's voice had taken. It sounded almost…girlish. It disgusted him further. Porter only continued, oblivious to Lord Fiske's thoughts. "It wasn't that hard to make, I could make more – if you want."

"Actually," said Monkey Fist haughtily, "I _would_ like you to do something."

He almost laughed at the eager look the boy gave him. "Whatever you want, sir."

"Banana bread. The monkeys have been asking for some – or did you know that already? Never mind. I want them to learn how to make it themselves. You will teach them."

Porter stood very still; the eager, happy grin was no longer on his face and Monkey Fist felt a great satisfaction inside. He waited for a hostile reaction – for Porter to lose his cool and do something that might merit a hefty punishment, but none came. Porter merely nodded, starting to leave the room. Bates, who had been looking on without much emotion, opening the door to allow him to go when Monkey fist spoke again.

"Oh, and bring more of this back in a half-hour, will you? I've suddenly realized how much I enjoy this taste," he drawled, sipping at the food again.

_The taste of victory, _thought the monkey man, grinning to himself as he watched the defeated servant boy leave.

* * *

Evelyn stared at the pile of brownish bananas on the table before her. She still couldn't understand why she had been punished by the Lord Fiske. Perhaps he really didn't like the stew after all. Maybe she'd said something to upset him.

_Author's note: I actually updated it, people. Yes. Oh...yeah...you don't have to put up any mistakes, guys. Just tell me. Don't be shy. I'll get to work right away on the next chapter. Once I figure out what will happen._


End file.
